Jollof-Spiced Quinoa Bowl with Grilled Chicken and Charred Peppers
All the flavor of West African jollof reimagined with fiber-rich quinoa, grilled chicken, and charred peppers.
Jollof's smoky tomato-pepper base is one of the most craveable flavors in West African cooking, and here it gets a fiber boost by simmering into protein-rich quinoa instead of white rice. Grilled chicken and charred bell peppers on top keep the bowl satisfying without weighing it down.
This bowl fits a heart-healthy pattern for a few clear reasons: quinoa brings more fiber and plant protein than rice typically would, the tomato sauce is built from no-salt-added purée so the smoky paprika flavor doesn't need to lean on salt, and the chicken is grilled with just a touch of olive oil rather than fried. Bell peppers add vitamin C and potassium on top of their color and char.
It's a genuinely filling lunch or dinner bowl, and leftovers hold up well for meal prep—just reheat the quinoa and chicken together and add fresh parsley before serving.
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa — rinsed
- 2 cups vegetable broth — low-sodium
- 1 tbsp olive oil — divided
- 1 onion — chopped
- 2 cloves garlic — minced
- 1 cup tomato purée — no salt added
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 0.5 tsp dried thyme
- 0.25 tsp cayenne pepper — to taste
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast — sliced
- 2 bell peppers — sliced
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley — chopped
Most ingredients here are everyday market staples across West Africa. A handful of specialty items may be easiest to find at a local open-air market or an African grocery store if you're elsewhere.
Instructions
- 1Simmer quinoa in vegetable broth, covered, about 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed; fluff with a fork.
- 2Heat 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a pan; sauté onion and garlic 4 minutes. Stir in tomato purée, smoked paprika, thyme, and cayenne; simmer 8-10 minutes until thickened into a jollof-style sauce.
- 3Stir the cooked quinoa into the sauce until evenly coated.
- 4In a separate pan, heat remaining olive oil and cook chicken slices and bell peppers 6-8 minutes, turning occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and peppers are charred at the edges.
- 5Divide jollof quinoa among bowls, top with grilled chicken and peppers, and finish with parsley.